Covenanter Witness Vol. 53 - Rparchives.org

perance"only"works,""repentance"works"grace."pay."Lesson Helps for the Week of August 22, 1954C. Y. P. U. TOPICAugust 22, 1954THE GRACIOUS OUTCOME-Psalms:FRUIT BEARINGMatthew 21:19-221:1-3, page 252:1, 5-8, page 13472:9-12, page 17592:11-14, page 227References: John 15:1-8; Gal. 5:22, 23James 3:17; Eph. 5:9; Phil. 1:11; 4:17II Peter 1:5-8; Matt. 7:17; Prov. 11:30Jer. 17:7, 8; Hos. 14:8; Isa. 5:4; Luke13:6-9.Comments by Rev. Walter C. McClurkinThe end of AIDS TO CHRISTIANGROWTH is not just the growth ofan ideal specimen plant, or person, orchurch, or nation, to have on display,but fruit. The Lord is not satisfiedwith "leavesor nothing but professions and promises and no performances. It is not enough just to standuprightly and make a nice appearancein the landscape, and not enough thatno poisonous exhalations and effusionsbe given off into the surroundingatmosphere.The Lord desires fruit, "the fruits ofrighteousness, which are by JesusChrist, unto the glory and praise ofGod"(PhiL_J_JJJ, "fruit unto holiness"(Rom. 6:22), and "the fruit of the Spirit. . .love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, tem(Gal. 5:22, 23)."The fruits ofinclude our "goodrighteousness"would"The fruit ofthe Spirit" of course, all instances ofobedience to the various commands ofGod, and even the confessions of oursins in the name of Christ, including"fruits meet for(Matt.3:8). Jesus "gave Himself for us, thatHe might redeem us from all iniquity,and purifypeople, zealous of good2:14).unto Himself a peculiar(TitusJesus says, "Herein is my Fatherglorified, that ye bear much fruit"(John 15:8). As the Lord of His vineyard, He allows years of grace and provides means of grace that the barrenmay "bear fruit" (Luke 13:6-9). "Hepurgeth"even fruitful branches thatthey "may bring forth more(John 15:2).fruit"The Lord cursed the barren fig treefor its barrenness. He did this to givea merciful and symbolic warning ofwhat unfruitful people might expect atthe final Judgment, if theyAugust 4, 1954should con-tinue unfruitful. See Matthew 7:19-23.As William Taylor says, "If it bebad for a fruit tree to have 'nothingbut leaves' it is not good for it eitherto have no leaves. The leaves help thegrowth and development of the fruit,and so a public confession helps to bringthe fruit to ripeness. If, therefore, youhave given yourself to Christ, make aconfession of Him by giving yourselfalso to the Church, and maintaining acharacter corresponding to the confession; then your character will ripen intocompleteness and you will bring forthyour fruit unto holiness and the endthereof will be everlastinglife."To have the privilege of entering into covenant with God,privately andpublicly, is itself a fruit of Christ's redemption. This is fruit Christ has produced and offers to us. So also is theprivilege of having the Holy Spirit tocause us to respond, to be in thecovenant relation, and to produce fruitby which God will be glorified. All thisis the gracious outcome of what Godhas provided, even the fruit bearing ofour own lives. Being in covenant withGod involves abiding in Him. Abidingin Him results in Fruit Bearing. This isthe gracious outcome of a "humble reliance upon His"My voice and prayer, O God, attend;That I my vows may (Psalm 61)JUNIOR TOPICAugust 22, 1954.ABRAHAM AND LOT SEPARATEMrs. M. K. Carson.Scripture: Genesis 13.Memory Verse: Romans 12:18.Psalms: Psalm 105:4,5,6,7, page 257.This is the Psalm-of-the-month. Weshall use the same verses that we hadlast week. Singif possible.through from memoryPsalm 133:1-3, page 330;112:1-2, page 277.References: Answer the following questions.1. What all had God given to Abraham? Genesis 24:35.2. How was Lot related to Abraham?Genesis 12:5.3. Why did Abraham go down toEgypt? Genesis 12:10.4. To what place did he return fromEgypt? Genesis 13:3.5. What else took place at Bethel?Genesis 28:10-19; 35:6-8; Judges 4:5;I Sam. 7:16.6. What idol was later worshiped atBethel? I Kings 12:28-33.7. What prophet of the Lord prophesied against Bethel? Amos 3:14.8. What good king destroyed the altarat Bethel? II Kings 23:15.9. What river valley did Lot choose?Genesis 13:10.10. What cities were nearby? Genesis13:10.Abraham, the father of God's chosenpeople, had been called from Ur, hadstayed in Haran till the death of hisfather, had journeyed south and set upan altar at Bethel, then in time offamine, had gone down to live in Egyptfor some time. It seems he must havefailed in faith at this point, for thesojourn in Egypt, while it brought himriches, yet was a trouble to him andit must have given Lot his first tasteof luxurious living. But Abraham cameback to his faith and to his God andto the same altar he had built at Bethel.Look carefully at the verses betweenGenesis 12:8, where Abraham built thealtar at Bethel, and 13:4 when he returns to this altar. Do you see anymention of his calling on the Lord inthese verses that tell of the time inEgypt? Could it be that Abraham hadleft God behind at Bethel? Even themost faithful of God's people sometimesgo in the wrong way, but God alwayscalls His own children back and willnot let them stray far away from Him.So back to Bethel came Abraham andLot and all their flocks and herds andservants.Bethel, we are told, had four springsthat would supply good water but thesurrounding hills were bleak and barren. It was in such a place that Abraham and Lot had to find food and drinkfor all their flocks. Water and grasswere precious then as they are now inour great western country. As naturallywould happen, the men who kept theflocks of their masters began to quarrel about who would get the best springand the greenest field. Some of theheathen Canaanites also lived in theland and Abraham thought it was ashame for God's people to be settingsuch a bad example in quarreling amongthemselves when they were supposedto be serving the Lord. So Abraham,who loved the Lord and loved peace(repeat the memory verse) told Lotthat they had best not try to live together but had best separate, so eachcould have plenty of room.One day the two men stood on oneof the high, rocky hills near Bethel andtalked the matter over, as they lookedfar off across the country. Abrahamwasthe older man and could havesimply told Lot where his portion would73